Planning your time in exams is critical as it allows you to make sure that you have enough time to do all that is asked of you. Find out from your teacher, for each exam, the time allowed and the mark value of the exam, and the way the exam is constructed - how many parts, what value is on each part.
Then use the following table to work out how long you have for each section. These are just examples.
| 2 hour exam worth 100 marks |
2 1/2 hour exam worth 60 marks |
3 hour exam worth 100 marks |
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Time Value for total marks |
120 minutes for 100 marks | Time Value for total marks | 150 minutes for 60 marks | Time Value for total marks | 180 minutes for 100 marks |
| Time Available per Mark, maximum | 1.2 minutes | Time Available per Mark, maximum | 2.5 minutes | Time Available per Mark, maximum | 1.8 minutes |
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Part A worth 30 Part B worth 20 Part C worth 30 Part D worth 20 |
Part A 36 mins Part B 24 mins Part C 36 mins Part D 24 mins |
Part A 25 marks Part B 15 marks Part C 20 marks |
Part A 62.5 mins Part B 37.5 mins Part C 50 mins |
Part A worth 25 Part B worth 25 Part C worth 25 Part D worth 25 |
Part A 45 mins |
| It should be noted that the above table does not allow for planning time. Although, generally, five minutes reading time is allowed at the beginning of each of the major exams now, particularly for Years 11 and 12, you should still take some time to plan out your answers to each section, where appropriate. Obviously if it is short answer or multiple choice, no planning is needed. However, if it is an extended response of some sort, whether account, narrative, description or exposition, planning should take place. | |||||
| Planning Time | 4 questions, 2 of which require planning = - 10 minutes max | Planning Time |
3 questions, Part A multiple choice Part B short answer Part C extended response and requires planning = 5 mins max |
Planning Time | 4 extended responses = 4 lots of planning = 20 minutes max |
| Time Available per Mark, maximum | 110 minutes for 100 marks = 1.10 minutes | Time Available per Mark, maximum | 145 minutes for 60 marks = 2.4 minutes | Time Available per Mark, maximum | 140 minutes for 100 marks = 1.4 minutes |